Mechanical plumb, level, and angle finder



Oct. 18, 1960 n. N, wHl'rE :TAL 2,956,346

MECHANICAL PLUIIB, LEVEL, AND ANGLE FINDER Filed Jan. 31, 1958 z s F/GJ ll fa [l |||l| W 1" s 26 Uu \"W Ill 42 Ihm. mi ll se) L $0 2.1 3J

C262 lz /C/- n; g; '2 541 gg Y s za' 7' S3 so IF Le o I4 24 gg'lig M INVENTORS 01W/EL N. wu/rf, CARM/5N- A. WH/TE ATTORNEY5 United States Patent (Mice 2,956,346 Patented Oct. 18, 1960 MECHANICAL PLUMB, LEVEL, AND ANGLE FINDER Daniel N. White and Carmen A. White, both of 10370 SW. 34th St., Miami, Fla.

Filed Jan. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 712,497

3 Claims. (Cl. 33-215) This invention relates to those tools commonly and generically termed as levels, said tools being usually provided with bubble tubes, and though being called levels, being designed for not only leveling, that is, checking horizontally, but also, for plumbing (that is, checking verticality) and for checking angles of inclination, particularly 45 angles.

Levels as conventionally designed are comparatively expensive, when so designed as to include means for leveling, plumbing, and checking 45 angles. Such levels generally have incorporated therein a plurality of bubble tubes, and it has been found that not only is the original cost comparatively high, but also, the levels cannot stand hard usage.

The main object of the present invention, accordingly, is to provide a generally improved level usable to advantage in discharging all the functions specified above, which level would be wholly mechanical in nature, simply designed, capable of manufacture at a very low cost, and will be characterized by ruggedness, with the possibility of the level becoming damaged or otherwise losing its accuracy being practically eliminated.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of our improved level;

Figure 2 is a transverse section substantially on line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section substantially on line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is an enlarged face view of one of the rotatable indicator elements;

Figure 5 is a face view of the weight, per se; and

Figure 6 is an edge elevational view of the weight.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the level 10 constituting the present invention may be formed of aluminum, wood, or any other suitable material. The level includes an elongated body which in the illustrated example is formed, at all locations except at its midlength area, to an l-shaped cross section as clearly shown in Figure 2. Thus, there is provided a planiform web 12 integral along its opposite longitudinal edges with workcontacting, ilat walls or flanges 14 lying in planes perpendicular to the plane of the web 12.

integrally formed upon the body, medially between the opposite ends thereof, is an annular weight housing 16, the planes of the flanges 14 being tangential to diametrically opposite portions of said housing, as clearly shown in Figure 1. Housing 16 extends the full width of the llanges, and is hollow medially between opposite sides of the level, providing a chamber 18 for a weight.

One side of the chamber 18 is permanently closed by a wall 20 integral with the annular wall of housing 16. Wall 20 is in a plane parallel to the web of plane 12 and perpendicular to the planes of anges 14, said wall i 20 being offset inwardly a short distance from the adjacent side surfaces of the anges 14, to provide a shallow, circular recess 21 at one side of the housing (see Figure 3).

At the other side of the housing, the housing is formed open, and surrounding said open side of the housing is a shallow, annular recess 22 in which is xedly mounted a flat, circular closure plate 24 of the housing, lying in a plane parallel to the plane of wall 20 and cooperating with wall 20 in defining the chamber 18. The purpose of closure plate 24 is to permit insertion of the weight means and of the weight-supporting shaft, to be described hereinafter, and it will be understood that any suitable means may be utilized for xedly engaging the plate 24 in the recess 22. For example, screws could be provided, circumferentially spaced about the plate 24 and engaging in threaded openings of the wall of recess 22. Or, closure plate 24 could be frictionally engaged in the recess, welded or soldered therein, or otherwise engaged in the Figure 3 position.

In any event, in the shallow recess 21 there is provided a flat, circular indicator element 26. Element 26 has a center opening, in which is iixedly engaged one end of a shaft 28 formed medially between its ends with a cranked portion 30 loosely positioned through a center opening 31 of a circular, thick weight 32 the diameter of which is substantially smaller than that of the housing. Shaft 28 is rotatable in an opening 33 formed centrally in wall 20.

At 34 there is illustrated a second, at, circular indicator element, having a center opening in which is fxedly engaged the other end of shaft 28. Adjacent the indicator element 34, the shaft is freely rotatable in a center opening 35 of closure plate 24.

The indicator elements, at their outer surfaces, are ilush with the respective side surfaces of the ilanges 14, as clearly shown in Figure 3, so that they do not produce any projections that might catch on objects or otherwise tend to damage the level or interfere with its proper use.

Marked upon the opposite side surfaces of the annular housing 16 (see Figure l) are first calibrations 36. These are located diametrically opposite one another, on a line disposed midway between and parallel to the planes of the work-contacting faces of the flanges 14. Spaced from the calibrations 36 are calibrations or index markings 38. These are diametrically opposed, lying on a line perpendicularly intersecting the straight line on which the marks 36 fall.

Alternating with the markings 36, 33 circumferentiaily of the housing are markings 4G, and markings 42. Markings 40 are diamet-rically opposed, falling on a line disposed at 45 to the lines on which the markings 36 and the markings 38 fall. The line on which opposed markings 42 fall perpendicularly intersects the line drawn between the markings 40.

It is thus seen that there are markings angularly spaced about the circumference of the housing 45 apart through the full circumference.

In this connection, at 44 there have been painted, etched, or otherwise delineated, on the indicator elements or wheels 34, indicator marks 44. These are in the form of radially extending arrows, that extend from the center point of each indicator element. The markings 44 are so arranged that when the device is perfectly horizontal, as for example in Figure 1, marking 44 will be in exact registration with one of the markings 38.

This is effected by reason of the fact that the weight 32 tends to gravitate to a lowermost position, regardless of the position of the body of the level. Therefore, if a device is being leveled or checked for hon'zontality, the levelling device would appear as in Figure l, and the weight would appear as in Figure 3. This would rotate the cranked portion of the Figure 3 position, and in this position of the parts the indicator arrows 44 would register with indicia 38.

If a plumbing operation is being carried out, that is, if a work piece is being checked for verticality, when the level body moves to a perfectly vertical position an row 44 will align with one or the other of the markings 36, since the weight 32 would still tend to gravitate to a lowermost position, rotating the cranked shaft 90 from its Figure 3 position.

Obviously, the. checking of 45 inclinations is also carried out with ease, with the arrow 44 registering with a selected indicium 40 or 42.

It will be apparent that the device is very inexpensive, and yet rugged and fully capable of checking horizontality, verticality, and 45 inclinations.

It is believed apparent that the invention isnot necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A gravity level andtplumb comprising an elongated body having work-contacting flanges extending along opposed longitudinal edges thereof, a hollow housing located intermediate the ends of the body and between said anges, said housing having end walls at opposite sides of said body, a shaft extending endwise through said housing and across said body, said shaft having end portions journaled through said end walls and a crank portion located in the housing between the end walls, a

circular weight axially journaled on said crank portion,V

and indicator discs fixed on said shaft end portions at the outer sides of said end walls.

2. A gravity level and plumb comprising an elongated body having work-contacting flanges extending along opposed longitudinal edges thereof, a hollow housing located intermediate the ends of the body and between said anges, said housing having end walls at opposite sides of said body, a shaft extending endwise through said housing and across said body, said shaft having end portions journaled through said end walls and a crank portion located in the housing between the end walls, a circular weight axially journaled on said crank portion, and indicator discs fixed on said shaft end portions at the outer sides of said end walls, said indicator discs having pointers thereon, and ends of the 'housing having angularly spaced marks thereon surrounding the indicator discs.

3. A gravity level and plumb comprising an elongated body having transversely spaced parallel work-contacting flanges having free edges, a hollow housing intermediate the ends of the body between said flanges, said housing having an open end at one side of the body, an end Wall closing theother end of the housing at the other side of `the body, a circular recess formed in the closed end of the housing7 an annular'recess in the other end of thel housing surrounding the open end of the housing, a removable closure disc securably engaged in said recess and closing the open end of the housing, first and second rotary indicator discs severally engaged in the recess and groove, a shaft extending endwise of the interior of the housing, said shaft having a first end portion journaledthrough said end wall and fixed centrally to said first indicator disc, said shaft having a second end portion journaled through said closure disc and xed centrally to said second indicator disc, said shaft having a crank portion located between and spaced from'said end wall and said closure disc, and a circular weight axially journaled on said crank portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 39,124 Davison et al. July 7, 1863 736,073 Collicutt Aug, ll, 1903 995,099 Seymour June l3, 1911 

